Automated systems are increasingly utilized in industry. Automation has the potential to allow any process to be done more quickly, accurately, efficiently, and with less human intervention. One important use of automated systems is in laboratory settings, for example to automate biological and chemical research and development.
The trend in automating biological and chemical research and development processes has led to the invention of many devices that can handle multiple samples in serial or in parallel. A sample may comprise a discrete volume or area that contains materials of biological or chemical interest. These samples are stored in microplates, tubes, slides, vials, and chips, to name a few examples. Operations that can be performed on small samples in serial or in parallel rely on automation equipment to accurately and reliably address smaller sample sizes. Automated tasks may also be performed one operation at a time, using a single device. Examples of these devices include but are not limited to: sample storage devices, sample sealing devices, sample liquid dispensing devices, sample labelers, sample seal piercing stations, sample centrifugation devices, and sample readers and data analyzers.
Utilization of these automated devices can be standalone or integrated. Standalone devices are used in a singular fashion, with a human operator or technician moving samples to and from the device. For example, a sample sealer can be used in a standalone fashion, with an operator or technician moving samples in and out of the sealer. This type of automation setup is referred to hereafter as an automated laboratory device.
Devices can also be used in an integrated fashion, in which multiple operations are performed by multiple devices. For example, an additional device, generally a sample moving robot, will move samples from one device to the next in order to complete a pre-programmed, multiple step set of tasks, hereinafter referred to as a process. For example, a robot may move samples from a storage device to a bar code labeler, to a liquid dispensing device, to a sample reader and analyzer, and then to another storage device. This is meant to be performed with a minimal amount of human intervention, which would perhaps be limited to loading samples into a storage device and selecting the corresponding process. A system that integrates multiple standalone devices is referred to hereafter as a laboratory automation system.
Multiple vendors or companies may manufacture various devices that are needed for laboratory automation processes. In addition, the number of processes that are being automated in laboratory settings is increasing, and the processes are becoming more diverse. As automation equipment becomes more omnipresent, there are benefits and risks. Some of the apparent benefits are decreased human intervention with potentially hazardous materials, reproducibility in sample handling, increased sample throughput, increased process operation capabilities, improved data tracking and decreased downtime caused by human error. The drawbacks include an increased risk of process downtime due to mechanical failures, failures to properly transfer samples between devices, general hardware failures and errors, and general software failures and errors. The stakes for an automation failure are somewhat higher, for the same reasons that automation provides benefits. That is, sample throughput is immediately decreased, and samples in a multistep process may be lost due to improper process timing.
When a device is in standalone mode or integrated, the operations performed on samples and the movement of samples may be controlled by software. Different levels of software control will control the operation that occurs at a device, the scheduling of sample movement from device to device, data analysis, and operator interaction prompts. Software control may also provide a user interface for an operator.
The increasing complexity and diversity of laboratory automation systems put a burden on automation equipment software developers to write software that can be adapted to multiple environments. In certain processes, it may be appropriate for a device to behave in a manner that may not be compatible with behavior of the same device in other processes. Managing various such devices and processes can place an undue burden on operators and technicians to determine that the automation equipment will perform in a manner consistent with their specifications.
Even without considering the diverse behavior required in different processes, many automated processes have the risk of errors. Errors can come in various forms. For example, nuisance errors may occur repeatedly but may not necessarily require the system to undergo any repair or suffer a significant amount of downtime. A sensor that fails perhaps 1 time out of 1000 may be an example of a nuisance error. A recoverable error may require a significant amount of intervention to overcome, but may be fixed without requiring the entire process to restart, or without a significant time delay. An example may be a case where a device temporarily fails, due to a power failure or some temporary blockage. Operator errors may also occur as a direct result of an operator's mistake. An example may be incorrect parameters entered at the start of a process.
Because errors may occur regularly on automated laboratory devices or in laboratory automation systems, it is helpful to have routines to recover from errors. However, as systems become more complex, previous approaches to errors may not be adequate. It is therefore desirable to have better and selective methodologies for error recovery in automated laboratory devices and laboratory automation systems.